THE LANGSTAFFS OF TEESDALE AND WEARDALE
BY
GEORGE BLUNDELL LONGSTAFF
Transcribed
by
CAROLE A.M. JOHNSON
COPYRIGHT 2001
All Rights Reserved

PART 6

42 Chapter V - Parish Registers

Prior to the dissolution of the monasteries, the secular Clergy were not required to keep any records of baptisms, burials, and marriages.

It is said that the Earl of Essex during a residence in the Low Country, was much impressed with the utility of such a register, and as Vicar General suggested its introduction into England. The proposal however raised a storm of protest, since a rumour spread that a new tax was to be exacted on every baptism, burial or marriage. For three years the opposition was successful, but in 1538 an injunction of King Henry V111 was published, ordering That the curate of every parish church shall keep one book register, which book he shall every Sunday, take forth and in the presence of the church wardens, or one of them, write and record I the same, all the weddings, christenings, and burials made the whole week before, and for every time that the same shall be omitted shall forfeit to the said church iije. iiijd. Upwards of 800 of these early registers survive- doubtless many have perished. In 1597 minute regulations were made in Convocation which were afterwards embodied in the 70th Canon of 1603. Among other provisions was one that a parchment book should be provided, into which were to be copied the entries, made hitherto into the paper books, from the time of their commencement in 1538, but especially since the beginning of the reign of Queen Elizabeth. This accounts for the fact that so many registers commence in 1558.*

* Parish Registers, though in valuable to the genealogist, have from his point of view one great defect, viz that in most cases they afford
43 Parish Registers

little evidence of the identity, and consequently of the relationships of the persons mentioned. Except in the case of very uncommon names, there is always the possibility, often almost a probability that two different individuals of the same names may have been living in the parish at one time. Thus within ten or twelve years there may be succession of baptisms, of say, Thomas, John, Richard, George and Mary, all described as sons of Thomas Smith, and at the close of the period, the burial of a Thomas Smith may have been recorded. There is nothing to prove that the children were all brothers and sisters; there may indeed be other evidence that there were two married Thomas Smiths at the time, both with young families. Again the Thomas Smith who was buried may not have been the father of any of these children, but their grandfather or even the child, Thomas.

It is worth noticing that when a child died in early infancy it was very a common practice to name a second child, born later by the same name.

The registers of the following Parishes, have been more or less completely searched for Langstaff entries from the commencement of the register to the date given, and in many cases the marriages have been extracted to a much later date. The words "more or less completely" are used advisedly, since the most conscientious reader is very apt to miss an entry here and there; the writing is often crabbed, the ink pale, and the light in the vestry, sometimes none of the best, while the eye grows weary with the tedious succession of names- hence but discrepancies are but too often found in comparing the work of different men. I have received by the courtesy of Mr. Thomas W. Marley and the late Captain E. A. White many valuable extracts. I have read a few registers myself, but in the greatest number of cases I have had to depend on paid agency, with I am bound to say, on the whole, very satisfactory results. With printed registers, it is of course different, since they are both accessible and legible and moreover can be examined at leisure.

Unfortunately, they are few and far between, and what there are contain but few Langstaff entries.

The only register in the following list which dates from 1538, viz. That of St. Oswalds Elvet, was printed by the vicar, The Rev. A.W. Headlam, in 1891. It bears the following superscription in
44 Parish Registers

the handwriting of the Rev. Thomas Rud, who was vicar from 1711 - 1725:-

1538
Ye first Year that Registers began 30 Hen 8, appointed by T. Crowell, then Vicar General.
This of course is a slip for Thomas Cromwell, who was knighted in 1531, made Earl of Essex 1539 and beheaded 1540. Sic. Transit gloria mundi!

Co. Durham

Register Commences Parties Search Made
1559 St. Andrew, Auckland 1559 - 1763
1593 St. Helens, Auckland 1593 - 1766
1609 Barnard Castle 1609 - 1820
1578 Cockfield 1578 - 1805 1590 Darlington 1590 - 1750
1560 Dinsdale (printed) 1560 - 1789
1609 Cathedral, Durham (printed) 1609 - 1896
1538 St. Oswald, Durham (printed) 1538 - 1731
1572 Easington 1572 - 1707
1543 Escomb 1543 - 1820
1567 Esh (printed) 1567 - 1812
1560 Gainford (printed) 1560 - 1784
1583 Hamsterley 1583 - 1795
1577 Hart 1577 - 1715
1570 Heighington 1570 - 1735
1564 Houghton le Spring 1564 - 1750
1579 Kirk Merrington 1579 - 1728
1561 Lanchester 1561 - 1750
1564 Norton 1564 - 1796
1571 Pittington 1571 - 1709
1580 Sedgefield 1580 - 1771
1608 Stanhope 1608 - 1770
1635 Staindrop 1635 - 1820
1570 Witton Gilbert 1570 - 1735
1558 Wittton-le-Wear 1558 - 1797
1654 Wolsingham 1654 - 1820


45 Parish Registers

Parish Registers Co. York
Register Commences Parish Search Made
1560 Bedale 1560 - 1745
? Bowes
1578 Romaldkirk 1578 - 1764
1668 Startforth 1668 - 1769
In addition to the above, I possess mostly through the kindness of friends, fragmentary information in respect of the following:-
Co.Durham
1567. Bishop Wearmouth
1570. Billingham
(?) Brancepeth
1580. Kelloe
1559. Bishop Middleham
1719. Sunderland
1561. Great Stainton 1561 - 1708
1626. Whorlton
1572. Winston


Co. Northumberland

1672. Elsdon (printed) 1672 - 1717
(?) St. Nicholas, Newcastle
Co. Westmorland
1647. Kirkby Stephen


Co. York

(?) St. Michael, Spurrier Gate, York
1596. St. Denis (?) Walmgate, York

In all the above, with the exception of Dinsdale, Elsdon, and Hart, Langstaff entries have been found - in some but two or three, in others many scores.

Further the Quaker Registers for York and Durham have been laid under contribution, as well as the valuable publications of the Harleian Society.

In the case of marriage by licence, the bonds entered into at the time of granting the licence are often to be found in the offices of the
46 Parish Registers

Diocesan Registers. These are very valuable, since they usually give more information than the parish registers; moreover the marriage may not have been registered or it may have been missed in searching or the register may be defective in that part, or lastly, no search may have been made in the parish in which the marriage was solemnised. On the other hand ,the Marriage Bonds are not in themselves proof that the marriage actually took place. In Appendix 1, the marriage bonds so far as known, have been incorporated with the extracts from the Registers, in chronological order, forming a list of over 400 Langstaff and Longstaff marriages.

In printing the extracts, the form of words has often been changed for brevity and convenience. Thus "s" is printed for "son of" "filius," etc., and "d" for "daughter of" or "filia." And the names of the persons married are simply coupled with the mark =.

Parish Registers often contain entries that appear to us quaint owing to the language used; even scraps of history are occasionally found. Though I have not been so fortunate as my distinguished namesake was, at Darlington, I have come across the following curiosities of this kind:-
Witton-le-Wear Registers

1672. Burial of a childe of a Poore travelling mans
1675. Burial of a childe of a Poore travelling womans
1702. Burial of a poore vagrant Scotchman
1784. Dec. 18 Burial of William Crosby of Darlington P. Who perished in the snow on Dec. 7 th thro' the inclemency of the weather.

Three nearly consecutive entries of burials:-
1744. a superanuated excieman
1744. an anabaptist
1744. a papist


Cockfield Register

1771. A superannuated soldier
1762. A saylor
1779. The uncommon Christian Name, Permeelia
1771. A travelling person


47 Parish Registers

Parish Register - Hamsterley Register

1657. April 23 Geo. Dixon of Bedburn, Hamsterley, and Jane Waidson of Stanhope, married by Col. Wren Esq., one of the Justices of the Peace.
This marriage was in accordance with the Ordinance of 1653, which in effect made marriages secular during the Commonwealth.


Kirk Merrington Registers

1615. Catherine White, a Scottish woman, being a stranger having a passe to travel homeward fell sicke by the way and being brought hither on a barrow from Winnleston extreme sicke died here and was buried the 12th day of Februarie 1615

"Poor strangers", about this time, are often spoke of as dying in the bakehouse! The well known Quaker name of Backhouse appears in old registers under the classic form of Bachus, but it is most likely derived from the Bakehouse.

1646. John Grey, of Ferryhill, farmer who was shot through th bowels by robbers upon Woodholme Moore was buried the 24th of November being the morrow after the hurt.

1701. Dulcibella, wife of Robert Hickson of Merrington, and daughter of Thomas Carr, D.D.,

Prebendary of Durham and Chaplain to the Earl of Strafford, who was beheaded An* 1641 Was interred Jan. 31, 1701.

1725. "Margaret Woof, y" good old Midwife" buried

1718. William Peirson of Ferryhill, was slain by a fall into a Coal pit and buried July 10th.

Staindrop Register

1641. Jan. 20 William Crawford, a Scot buried in y" Church.
1657. Aug 23 Elizabeth Bailes an ancient widow of Yakely [Aycliffe] buried
Note: Kept no register from Jan. 3 1709 to 9 Nov. 1710 through the carelessness of the Clerk.

1768. June 8 Joseph a native of East India aged 13, Christened.
John a native of East India aged 12, Christened.
48 Parish Registers

St Helens Register

1619. Theophilia, which is by interpretation "Love God"
1620. [circa] John Edens, "child with one hand"
1656. [Type of several entries about the same date - this being the first such:-]
"Memorand,

That an intension of marriage betwixt William Langstaff, mason, and Barbary Howe, spinster, both within the chapelry of St. Helen, Auckland, was published in the chapell of St. Helen, Awckland, aforesaid immediately after the close of the morning exercise thre severall Lords according to an act of Parliament in that case made and provided namely, 6th 13th and 20th days of July".

1731. "A licence upon examination on oath proved counterfeit with a false name."

1646. " Geo. Cummin and Jannet Hodgshon were married the thurday the 4th day of February 1646 and the same night our glorious King Charles laid at Xtopher Dobson's house in Bpp. Auckland."

We learn from Dr. J raine's " Auckland Castle" that this entry by Mr. Vaux, the Curate refers to Charle's last visit to Auckland as a prisoner on his way from Scotland. Tradition, he adds, says that a Mrs. Wren from Binchester, found him in Dobson Inn [the first house on the right hand side as you enter Silver Street from the Market Place (Richly 1871)], surrounded by soldiers, who were smoking tobacco, the smell of which he held in abomination; and that the lady, spiritedly broke every pipe she could reach in her approach to her fallen Sovereign, whereupon the King thanked her, and said she had done more than he durst have done.

1644. John Kidd the son of Robert Kidd being suspected to have died of the plague was buried beside his own dwelling, 14th March 1644.

1647. Edward Wright the lawyer, was buried the 11th day of May 1642;
Woe unto ye lawyers for ye have taken away the key of knowledge: Ye entered not in yourselves, and them that were entering in ye hindered:- LUKE xi 52

49 Parish Registers

"Ye have mainly by your arts and usurpation's ye have appropriated unto yourseles the power of expounding the Laws of God, captivating men's conciences to your opinions and spoyling them of all liberty of judgement and knowledge."

" By the Rev. learned and godly devine Mr. John Diodati, Minister of the Gospel and now living in Geneva."

The following excommunication recorded in the Escombe Parish Register is remarkable for its late date:-
By Vertue of an Excommunication, to me and others directed from ye Right Honourable ROBERT BOOTH, Archdeacon of Durham: Thomas Pattison, for not frequenting publick devine service in his parish of Escombe, and being a prophane , wicked and common swearing person, a noted raler, a sower of sadition, faction and discord among his neighbours. The excommunication was denounced, Feb. 27, 1708

Geo Brown, William Poole, Churchwardens.
John Pickering, Minister.
Barnard Castle Register

1782. May 22, Geo. Dixon, one of the people called Quakers, aged 39 years, baptised.

Wolsingham Register

1628. Dec. 21, Ann Dixon of Harup, buried in Wooling, according to the Act. A Witness, George Dixon.

In 1678. (30 Charles 11) an act was passed to encourage the manufacture of woolen and to prevent the exportation of money for buying and importing linen; and at the same time it was enacted that every person should be buried in woolen material, and an affidavit to that effect was required to be made at the time of burial, which was duly noted in the register, often by writing "Aff" in the margin. A fine of £5 was levied if the person was buried otherwise than in woolen.

50 Parish Registers

It is remarkable what a different impression may be created by the use of strange words,
Though similar in meaning to those now current, thus:-
1719. April 23 Wm. Langstaff of Mickelton, an old bachelor Buryed by y" rector. Romaldkirk

1793. Dec. 29 Elizabeth Langstaff , an old maiden, buried. Cockfield are commonplace enough; but the following seems comic, especially as nowadays only married women are termed "mistress" :

1779. June 17 Miss Dongwith, old virgin, Elvet buried, Durham Cathedral

St. Andrew Auckland Register

1666. Jan. 7 Gulielmus Barnes tremulus [Quaker] qui excomunicatus erat sepultus fuit extra Coemiterium Ecclesiae de Auckland sancti Andreae in p'te Orientali.

Mem. Will'm Bowness buried Jan. 17 1666-7, without the walls of the Churchyard, having been excommunicated in parte. Orientali

1694. Mar. 7 Sara Lamson a Quaker baptised, being in the 32th yeare of her age.

Darlington Register

1624. 25 Mar. 10 Bartholomew Longestraffe and Margaret Longestraffe of Blackwell, drowned, buried.

1661. Jan. 1 John Langstafe of Blackwell, Piper, buried

1724. April 1 John Longstaff of Darlington, drown'd in the Millpott. Buried.

1726-27 Margaret Longstaff, quondam bellwoman of Darlington, widow, buried.

1731-32 John Longstaff, Darlington Town Crier, buried.

Often closely associated with Parish Registers are Parish Accounts, which throw considerable light upon the ways of the times.

51 Parish Registers

Darlington Churhwardens Accounts.

1634 George Langstraffe for washing the organs and carring the greate bell to Blackwell and bringing it back again, 6d.

1637 George Langstafe for taking away the oulde stalls, 6d.

1646 George Lonstaff for keeping the clock and ringing at five a clock and eight, 13s. 4d.

1655 George Langstraffe for carring the money which was collected for the Protestants in France to a Justice, 6d.

1659 Langstaff for dressing the church after the Gaurds in it, 2d.

1670 To the lame dockter for curing Duke [?for Marmaduke] Wilson of the evell, 4s. 6d.

1672 Lanestafe for making Duck Wilson grave, 4d.

1675 For a winding sheet for old Widdow Longstafe, 1s. 6d.

[Parish Register:Burials ].

1670 Oct 9 Geo. Lanstaff

1675 Dec 12 Margaret wife of Geo. Langstaff

1694 To Henery Langstaffe for carrag of the bell, 1s. 1d; for taking down the greate bell, wages and ale, 10d; for hanging her up, in ale and wages, 10d; for prayer books when we got out of place, 5d; for tolling the greate bell the 5th March, 1d.

Darlington Borough Books*

1675 Tho. Longstaff for mending the church hack and iron layd on it, 9d.

Mr W.H.D. Longstaffe, speaking of the spelling of the name, says, [Page 273, note]: in the Halmot Book (the family being small at Blackwell) the name is Langstreth. In the registers it is chronologically Langstaff, Langstaffe, Langestaffe, Lanstreffe, Langestraffe, Langstrafe, Langstraffe, Langstraff, Longstaffe, Lancke- stafe, Langstaf, Longstaf, Longstaff.
He adds, unfortunately without explanation or reference: In 1624 none were to " let Richard Langstaffe a howse within the borough of Darlington upon paine of, 39s. 11d.

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